Geometric Re-Analysis of Classical MDP Solving Algorithms

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Mustafin, Arsenii, Pakharev, Aleksei, Olshevsky, Alex, Paschalidis, Ioannis Ch.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Mustafin, Arsenii
Pakharev, Aleksei
Olshevsky, Alex
Paschalidis, Ioannis Ch.
author_facet Mustafin, Arsenii
Pakharev, Aleksei
Olshevsky, Alex
Paschalidis, Ioannis Ch.
contents We build on a recently introduced geometric interpretation of Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) to analyze classical MDP-solving algorithms: Value Iteration (VI) and Policy Iteration (PI). First, we develop a geometry-based analytical apparatus, including a transformation that modifies the discount factor $γ$, to improve convergence guarantees for these algorithms in several settings. In particular, one of our results identifies a rotation component in the VI method, and as a consequence shows that when a Markov Reward Process (MRP) induced by the optimal policy is irreducible and aperiodic, the asymptotic convergence rate of value iteration is strictly smaller than $γ$.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_04203
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Geometric Re-Analysis of Classical MDP Solving Algorithms
Mustafin, Arsenii
Pakharev, Aleksei
Olshevsky, Alex
Paschalidis, Ioannis Ch.
Machine Learning
We build on a recently introduced geometric interpretation of Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) to analyze classical MDP-solving algorithms: Value Iteration (VI) and Policy Iteration (PI). First, we develop a geometry-based analytical apparatus, including a transformation that modifies the discount factor $γ$, to improve convergence guarantees for these algorithms in several settings. In particular, one of our results identifies a rotation component in the VI method, and as a consequence shows that when a Markov Reward Process (MRP) induced by the optimal policy is irreducible and aperiodic, the asymptotic convergence rate of value iteration is strictly smaller than $γ$.
title Geometric Re-Analysis of Classical MDP Solving Algorithms
topic Machine Learning
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.04203